Sea Days in the Caribbean

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There were six sea days on this cruise. The last were the two days sail between Panama and the Bahamas. It was generally calm sailing through the sunny Caribbean. But, there was excitement when a US Coast Guard helicopter buzzed the ship as we neared Cuba.

Sea day activities on board Oriana were not very different from cruising today. Two pools (First and Tourist). Passengers laying out in the sun. Reading on a deck chair. Walking laps around the Promenade Deck. Games such as trivia and bingo. Afternoon Tea. Silly contests by the pool. I enjoyed the tour of the ship's Bridge. (Bridge and Engine Room tours are no longer offered on cruise ships due to security concerns.) But there was no Galley tour as is common now. There was an extra-cost Grill in addition to the main dining room (similar in concept to the specialty restaurants found on modern cruise ships) but we never ate there. There was a library that really was a library and a place to write. Oriana had a cinema rather than a show lounge. (There was a dance band and singers, but no big stage productions like now.) First run features were screened in the cinema along with short travel films about the next port of call and about travel destinations in general. I remember seeing Night of the Iguana with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Before we reached Panama, a film about the history and technical operation of the Panama Canal was shown.

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Photos

Promenade Deck
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At Sea
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